Kobe Bryant did not take part in Lakers practice Monday, recovering from his MVP performance in the All-Star Game on Sunday. But Bryant did see with all his teammates all the defensive mistakes the team has been making in a special (and especially long) video presentation to the team from its coaches.

“We’ve got a challenge ahead of ourselves,” Bryant said of the rest of the Lakers’ season.

The Lakers hope to correct their lapses in team defense starting Tuesday night vs. visiting Atlanta — and end their three-game losing streak. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol both specifically cited that there are 25 regular-season games left, and it’s apparent the Lakers are telling themselves and each other that they can bring better focus now than when trying to look at an 82-game window.

Bryant said the Lakers now “see the finish line.” Phil Jackson called it a “manageable amount of games to look at” and also said they can call it “less than two months of play” before the playoffs.

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